Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Card of Week: 1991 Topps Archives '53 Joe Garagiola

First of all, I would like to apologize for my little hiatus. I had a death in the family, so I have not been a writing mood. The cause of the death was basically due to a lifetime of smoking cigarettes. I am going to get a little preachy here today.

This week's card is of Joe Garagiola from the 1991 Topps Archives set. This set was a reprint of the 1953 Topps set. This set had a couple differences from the original set. The newer version was produced in the standard baseball card size as opposed to the larger version of the original set. The 1991 set also included an additional 57 cards of players who was not a part of the 1953 set. The Garagiola is one of them.

Garagiola was a career backup catcher from 1946-1954, in which included winning a World Series with St. Louis Cardinals in 1946. After his playing days, he began a very successful career in broadcasting. Most notably working for NBC on their game of the week with fellow Ford Frick Award winner Vin Scully. Garagiola also had a co hosting stint on NBC's Today show and spelled Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show on occasion. Garagiola is also the recipient of 2014 Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.
After Garagiola's broadcasting days at NBC was over, he visited many spring training camps and preached the health risks of smokeless tobacco. Garagiola had lost several of his former teammates and friends because of and wanted to eliminate the use of the tobacco product from the game. So the moral of today's post is....smoking. bad. smokeless tobacco....also bad.

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About Me:

I am a lifelong baseball fan. Mostly a traditionalist but is open to new ideas. If it makes the game grow I am for it.So, if you can guess I don't like the designated hitter and not a fan of relief pitchers(the position is needed but the pitchers themselves are overrated). Absolutely hate domes and astroturf. I find the 3-2 game much more exciting than a 10-8 slugfest.